On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court called for information on the registration process and living conditions of migrant workers in the State [TGN Kumar v State of Kerala & ors].
A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S Manu sought these details while hearing a plea concerning the large influx of migrant workers in Kerala.
The Court stressed the necessity of a systematic approach to monitor the influx and living conditions of migrant workers.
It requested details about the procedures adopted by Local Self Government authorities for registering migrant workers and monitoring their living conditions.
“The learned Government Pleader is directed to get instructions regarding the registration process of the migrant workers as well as the living conditions of the migrant workers in the State. The learned Government Pleader is specifically directed to get instructions from the Local Self Government Department on whether they have a device or mechanism to determine the number of occupants in residential buildings where migrant workers find shelter or residence while they are in Kerala,” the Court ordered.
This order was issued in response to a petition filed by TGN Kumar, who raised concerns about the large influx of migrant workers to Kerala, particularly from West Bengal.
The petitioner highlighted that migrant workers often possess fabricated identity documents, such as fake Aadhar and PAN cards. He added that many of these workers have criminal backgrounds, citing incidents of counterfeit currency circulation and other criminal activities involving migrant workers. He emphasized the need for stringent registration and monitoring processes.
The petitioner also pointed out a significant discrepancy between official census figures and the actual number of migrant workers in Kerala. Officially, there are 5.2 lakh migrant workers, but the actual figure is estimated to be around 7.5 lakhs. This discrepancy indicates that approximately 2.5 lakh migrant workers are unregistered, making it challenging for the State to track and regulate them.
The petitioner informed the Court that he had already flagged these issues in a representation to the State’s Labour Department authorities, but no action had been taken despite a reminder. Therefore, he approached the High Court for relief.
The petition was filed through Advocate Ameer Salim.
